A Little Promise
by EllieMoon
Summary: Goodbye means farewell. It seemed to Quinn that she was always saying goodbye to this girl.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- I've come to love FaBerry recently. I wanted to try my own attempts at it, so here it goes. Unfortunately I don't own Glee, otherwise a lot of things would have happened differently.**

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><p>There's that moment where everything feels right. There is a peacefulness that has never been there before. Life isn't complicated, and you know you just belong. Her eyes always entranced me from the very first moment we met. Although I was only a baby, I knew there was something between us that went well beyond friendship.<p>

Her brown eyes capture her wild spirit, and remind me that she is destined for greatness. She was never one to settle for mediocrity. I often feel as if I could never be good enough for her, but those deep mahogany colored eyes make me feel differently. There's always been something about her that captures the attention of everyone around her. She has this ability to enrapture her audience.

The problem with that moment is when it ends, which it will cause it always does. I cannot be the one to hold her back and although her eyes plead with me, begging me not to leave her, I have to. We were known as Quinn and Rachel, Rachel and Quinn for so long that I have lost my own identity in the process. Sometimes I get the feeling that she thinks the same thing. There are moments when her eyes seem far away like she's lost. I can't be the one to hold her back from what we both know she's destined for.

We are the cliché Romeo and Juliet except neither one of us is dying and our families don't hate each other. The problem is that whenever we feel like the world is right, something happens to make it wrong. No matter what we can never truly be happy. Something comes along and ruins it. The NYU letter in her hands has effectively ended our relationship just as much as the Oxford letter in my own has. Neither of us imagined way back when that our dreams would come true, because we were a bunch of small town girls from the Midwest.

"Quinn," her voice wavered slightly, as she held back an onslaught of tears that I knew were waiting to fall. "I-I c-c-c-can't do this without you." She stumbles over her words as reality sets in.

I sighed, raking a hand through my blonde locks. Yesterday everything was perfect. I was lost in the feeling of being home when I looked into her eyes, but now we are broken. Neither of us wants to destroy the other, which we know is what would happen if we attempted to pursue a long distance relationship. Distance has been a problem of ours.

I turn away from her, unable to hold back my own tears. "Rach please don't do this. Don't make this harder. We aren't living in some schoolgirl fantasy where all of our dreams come true. The real world doesn't work that way. For every opportunity you take, you give up something in return."

I could hear her sniffling and the stifled sob. I hated that I was the one reducing her tears. I never could stand to see her cry, but these tears were inevitable. We had deluded ourselves into thinking that Quinn and Rachel were untouchable.

"I wish I could say you were wrong." She admitted. "It seems life is always pulling us apart. We're star-crossed." Her words couldn't be any truer. When things were working out, something occurred to make sure they wouldn't.

"We are a modern day Romeo and Juliet. All I want is to love you, but life, destiny, fate whatever throws a wrench into the plans every time." My back is still facing her, as I can't even glance at her without breaking down. It was hard this afternoon opening that letter, and knowing that while one dream would prosper another would die. My dreams of her would die.

I can hear the shuffling of her feet as she shifts in place. "A tragic love story is never what I pictured for myself. I think it would be best if we broke up now instead of prolonging the inevitable. The longer we stay together the more it will hurt." The truth of her words gut me like a knife. Every moment in her presence hurts. It's like I'm drowning, and she's the only one that can save me.

"Can you at least look at me?" She cries.

I shake my head because if I look, I will lose my resolve. I would accept a place at Yale, and forsake my dreams for hers. Therein lies the problem. She would never ask me to, and she would continuously worry that I would regret my decision one day. In this moment, I could say I wouldn't all I want, but I don't know how I would feel in another ten-twenty years. The unpredictability of it all frightens me.

There is a soft sigh. "I'm breaking up with you. This is for the both of us. We won't be hurting each other anymore. I-i-it's going to take some before I can… look at you without wanting to cry. I need some space."

"I understand." I tell her with a slightly muffled voice as tears have started to fall. I know the exact moment she leaves. I can't feel her presence, but I can feel her pain. None of this would've happened if the beginning of our story never happened. Maybe it was my fault. The moment my tiny hand made a connection with hers, I was done. There was no turning back from those soulful brown eyes. I would give her the universe if I could.


	2. Chapter 2

_May 1993_

The clinking of glasses could be heard as people drunk their sorrows away in the bar of the Lima Country Club. It was a nice day as the dark haired man sat across from his fair-haired friend.

Leroy and Russell had been friends since middle school. Russell had been the first person that Leroy came out to, and despite his harsh Christian upbringing, he accepted his friend for who he was. Being gay was not entirely who he was, only a small part. It didn't define him, and who was he to judge him and tell him how to live his life. He was going to support his friend, as he knew that difficult times lay ahead.

They were from a small-minded small town in Midwest America that was still a little backwards, and did not like to accept what was different. Things were not as bad as they were ten years before, but it was still not that great to be openly gay especially in Lima.

"Hello Leroy," Russell greeted his darker skinned friend.

Leroy nodded his head. "You are a sight for sore eyes Russell. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

The blond haired man chuckled. "Yes, well you have been away in New York for the last seven or so years. I think the last time Judy and I saw you was at your ceremony with Hiram."

Leroy dipped his head in embarrassment. He could feel the slight reprimand from his friend. "I must apologize for that. Life has gotten away from us. Hiram has recently finished his residency, and he wanted to settle in a smaller area. He suggested coming here. I was inclined to agree."

"Did he choose a specialty?" Russell had first met Hiram when they were sophomores and the man was a senior. Leroy had fallen head over feet in love, and followed him once they graduated to New York where he was attending medical school.

Leroy nodded. "Yes he chose pediatrics. He loves working with children. We've actually started discussing possibly starting our own family. Both of us are only children, and we want only one child as well. We want to be able to devote our love and attention to him or her."

Russell gazed at his childhood friend with something that could be described as amazement. His lips quirked up at the corners as if he found something amusing. "I must say I was wondering when you would tell me if I should be expecting a god child in the future."

Leroy gasped in faux shock. "Who said you would be godfather?"

"I'm your best friend. Besides you're Frannie's godfather. I think the favor should definitely be returned, don't you?"

"I'm only messing with you. I would be honored to have you fulfill the post of my child's godfather. God, when did we get to be old?"

Russell's head snapped up in mock offense. "Speak for yourself old man," he smirked, knowing full well that he was five months older than the other man.

"I'll have you know that there are five months that separate the two of us. I happen to be the one born at the end of the five months, not the beginning."

The blond rolled his eyes at the mini speech. Leroy had always preferred to speak in paragraphs instead of short sentences like a normal person. It was an endearingly, annoying quality about his longtime best friend.

"Judy and I have also talked about having another child. She wants a boy. I'm fine with whatever. She says she does not mind if it does turn out to be a girl. She will be okay as long as the prospective child is healthy and happy."

"It would be amazing though if our children were friends."

"Long lasting friendships are important. I have missed your craziness these last few years. No one knows how to throw a party quite like you." He was referring to some of their more interesting parties from their time in college. Neither was the poster child for a saint in college. The parties were legendary though.

Leroy blushed as he remembered that it was one of those parties he met his husband at. "Yes well there is not as much alcohol involved nowadays. I can't seem to hold my liquor like I used to. It seems it only takes a little for me to become inebriated."

Russell let out a deep, throaty laugh at his friend. "I don't remember you ever being able to hold your liquor."

The dark haired man glared at his friend. "I could so."

"Keep telling yourself that my friend. Now tell me about this future godchild of mine."

"Well we are hoping it's a girl. We like the name…"

_Over a year and a half later: December 18, 1994_

"Shelby, we don't know how to thank you enough for bringing her into the world. She looks just like you." Leroy exclaimed as he marveled as his baby girl.

A few tears fell from Shelby's eyes as she watched the man with her daughter. "T-t-take care of her," she held back another sob as she thought about what was about to happen.

Leroy glanced at Shelby and noticed how hard it was for the young woman. Hell, she could almost be considered a girl. She was barely twenty years old, and had already done so much with her life. She gave life to the most beautiful little girl.

"Shelby," he said softly, placing a comforting hand on her arm. She looked up into his dark brown eyes. "You will always be her mom. You are allowed to write to her. You can send pictures. We will send you pictures. You can call. We won't take her away from you because she's a part of you, just like you are a part of her. She will know you."

The girl sniffled and stared at him with watery eyes. "B-but what about the c-c-contract?" She stuttered. She bit her lip in worry. She didn't want to get into any legal trouble.

Leroy waved a dismissing hand through the air. "Hiram and I have talked it over, and we don't want Rachel to grow up without a female presence in her life. Every girl needs a mom."

"Her name is Rachel?"

Leroy nodded his head. "Could her middle name be Barbra? She really seemed to love Barbra whenever I listened or sang to her."

Leroy looked down at the bundle in his arms. "Rachel Barbra Berry," he murmured softly. The baby gurgled. "Seems we might have a keeper."

"Can I hold her for a little bit? I don't know when I will see her again."

He nodded as he handed the baby over to her mother. Shelby slid her index finger between the baby's clenched fist. The little girl opened her eyes and stared blearily at her mother. She puckered her lips as if she understood exactly who the woman in front of her was. "You can feed her if you want. It'll be a good memory, knowing that you nourished her inside and outside the womb. I'll give you privacy if you want."

"It's alright." She said softly as the man made to exit. "Just turn around until I get her situated." It took a few minutes before she allowed him to turn around. He stared in wonder as his little girl suckled gently from her mother's breast. Her hand rested on top of her mother's breast as if saying no one would ever enjoy what was hers. Shelby kissed the baby soft hair as she cried.

Leroy took a few pictures with his camera when Shelby wasn't paying attention. They were beautiful the two of them together. His daughter was the mini version of her mother, and he couldn't be happier about that. "I hope she makes a lot of friends."

"Don't worry Shelby, I think it's only a matter of time before she makes her first friend. She's already a little charmer."

"I love you, my little star." Shelby murmured against her head as she kissed the baby one last time before handing her to her father. "You promise we will know each other?" In that moment, Leroy could see the vulnerable girl in the young woman and he vowed never to keep mother and daughter apart.

"I promise."

"Goodbye Leroy, bye baby."

_A few hours later_

Leroy walked into his home with Rachel in her carrier. Hiram was in surgery as one of his patients had seriously fractured her arm. The bone wasn't healing properly, and Leroy didn't understand everything else his husband had said.

"SURPRISE!" Leroy jumped a little as he walked into the living room to see his best friend and his family. Judy was the picture perfect wife, although she didn't take crap from her husband. Russell was as whipped as they came, though he liked to pretend differently.

Frannie was six. She was blonde like her parents, and her two front teeth were missing. She was a sneaky one, but she loved her Uncle Leroy. Lucy Quinn was positioned on her mother's hip as she glanced curiously at her surroundings. She was ten months old, and already becoming quite independent. She was crawling all over the place, and could walk with the guidance of others or objects. She wasn't quite ready to take on the world on her own yet, but she was determined to get a head start.

Frannie ran over to hug her uncle's legs as she giggled loudly. "Is that the baby?" She asked.

"Yes, this is Rachel."

Frannie ran her fingertips over the baby's cheek. Rachel's eyes fluttered open and remained unfocused. "She looks like a little angel." Frannie marveled.

"Gah," Lucy screeched. She wanted to know what was going on that had her sister so interested. Judy walked over to where Leroy was to gaze at the beautiful baby girl situated in her carrier.

"Here let me take her out," Leroy unbuckled his daughter, and made sure he secured her head before picking her up. Lucy watched the baby. "Lucy sweetheart, this is Rachel."

Lucy stared at the little thing in her uncle's arms. She gently reached over to touch one of Rachel's tiny hands. "Ra," she cooed. Rachel's head turned slightly in the direction of Lucy's voice. "Ra," she babbled again. Rachel closed her eyes as the sound of voice washed over her. She was sleepy. Being born was a lot of work, and she was still getting used to being on the outside.

Everyone sat down in the living room as they all began to talk. Leroy had set Rachel back into her carrier as she fell asleep. He didn't want to disturb her. Lucy crawled over to the baby, unable to stay away. Rachel was Lucy's, and no one would ever take her away. "Ra," and Rachel opened her eyes. Rachel stared a little at the face in front of her. Although her vision wasn't that great yet, she could make out eyes. They were pretty eyes. Lucy grabbed Rachel's hand and held it even as she fell asleep.

"Aw, look how cute they are." Judy squealed quietly. Lucy didn't take to people especially strangers that well. "Looks like Lucy has a new friend." The parents took pictures of their sleeping daughters, not knowing that this was going to be a common thing in the future.

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><p><strong>AN- Aren't they cute? The first few chapters each have a time jump until they reach high school.**


	3. 1999

**A-N- Like I said, at least until chapter six I think, there are significant time jumps. No copyright infringement intended.**

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><p><em>September 1999<em>

The morning was warm as little children clutched their parents' hands for support. Little Rachel Berry was tucked behind her mother's legs as her fathers walked on both sides of her. She was terrified about starting school. Lucy was in a different class, and they wouldn't be seeing each other that much like they did in preschool.

Rachel was glad her mommy had come to see her off for her first day of school. She knew her mom was extremely busy on Broadway, and that it was an extra special visit because it was her baby's first day of school. She held tightly to her mom's leg as they walked into the intimidating building. It was so big compared to the small girl.

All three parents chuckled slightly at the sight of their petrified daughter. Normally, Rachel would be pushing her parents away, telling them that she was a big girl. However, the girl in front of them was anything but brave. Shelby had never seen her daughter act like this before. Rachel didn't seem to want to let go of her today. From the moment she saw her mom, some part of her was attached to Shelby.

She had a difficult time trying to do the girl's hair because of this. One of the pigtails was slightly lopsided, but it wasn't that noticeable. Rachel's favorite part was the ribbons her mother tied into her hair. They were red and matched her dress. She wore a red and white plaid dress with white tights and black Mary Janes. It was all brand new, purchased just for her first day of school.

Her Barbie backpack swallowed up her small frame. Her mom carried her matching lunchbox. She followed her parents silently and gulped at the sight of the kids. They were all bigger than her, and she was afraid. It took the little family a bit to get through the throngs of kids, but eventually they made it to Rachel's class.

The teacher was at the door greeting parents. She smiled at all three parents and tried to get a peek at Rachel, but the girl wasn't having any of it. She buried her face in her mother's leg. "I'm Mrs. Smith, and I'll be Rachel's teacher for the year. Most of the kids have arrived, and are in the process of saying goodbye to their parents. Today will mostly consist of introducing everyone to each other, and other basic things. Each table seats four kids, and they are assigned. So why don't you guys help Rachel find her seat." She smiled at them.

They dragged Rachel into the room, and once they pried her off her mother's leg, she burst into tears. "Please don't leave me here, I wanna go home."

Shelby bent down to console her crying child. "Baby, you'll be fine. Mommy and your daddies all had to go to school. It was scary at first, but you will see how fun it is. You're going to make lots of friends. Pretty soon when your daddies take you to school, you will be leaving them at the entrance just to get to the classroom. We will be back for you at two o'clock."

Rachel sniffled pathetically and rubbed her red, puffy eyes. "Promise?" She asked uncertainly.

"Cross my heart and hope to die, I promise we will be back for you when school gets out. Now show mommy how brave her big girl is." She pulled out a tissue to clean up her daughter's face.

The little girl smiled at her mother and gave her a hug and a kiss. She repeated her actions with her fathers. She frowned a little when they left, but she promised her mom she would be brave.

Once everyone had arrived, Mrs. Smith made sure that the entire class was in the correct chair. She took attendance to get the kids in routine. The announcements came on, and she stood up and said the Pledge. The kids all stood up and placed their hand over their hearts, but none of them even attempted to say the Pledge of Allegiance. By the end of the year though, it would be ingrained in their heads. It would be one of those things they would never forget.

"Alright, so I'm going to call on you guys one at a time, and you're going to introduce yourselves. You will say your name, how old you are, when is your birthday, and something you like to do. First up is Azimio Adams." There was only one other person before it was Rachel's turn.

"I'm Rachel Barbra Berry. I'm four years old. My birthday is in December. I like to dance and sing." She blushed profusely and quickly sat back down.

There were some others who were shy, and then there were the loud ones like Mercedes Jones and Noah Puckerman. She was placed next to a boy named Kurt. He was whiter than Lucy, which surprised the little girl. He had brown hair and sparkly, baby blue eyes. He was pretty compared to the other boys in her class. He was really nice and liked Broadway.

Across from them on the other side of the table were Mercedes and Noah. Rachel knew Noah from her synagogue. They went to Hebrew School together. Mercedes was new to Lima so she didn't know anyone else. Kurt was in a different preschool class, which is why she kind of recognized him.

Their teacher had them practice writing their names. Rachel already knew how to write so she was kind of bored. Her and Lucy spent their summer learning how to read and write. They didn't want to be behind so they had Frannie help them.

In Lucy's classroom, they were doing much of the same thing. She had met two nice girls. Well one of them was really nice. Lucy wasn't too sure about the other. Brittany and Santana were the first two kids to talk to the little blonde girl. Her dad always said never to talk to a blind horse or something like that. Frannie said it meant don't turn down a good chance. Brittany was a dirty blonde with big blue eyes. She liked to dance, but she said some of the strangest things. Santana had tan skin with dark brown eyes and dark hair.

Santana was only nice to her because she was nice to Brittany. The other person at their table was Finn. He was a stupid boy so they mostly ignored him. Lucy wished Rachel was in her class. She hadn't seen the other girl since Saturday. She was worried about her. She wanted her to have a good day.

Rachel was having a fantastic time. Her and Kurt really got on. "I really like Annie." He told her.

The little girl smiled brightly. "Me too, I love the song It's a Hard Knock Life. The dancing looks so fun. My mommy works on Broadway in New York. She gets to sing like all the time."

"I wish we could sing all the time. Too bad we have school."

Rachel's smile fell at the reminder. "I wish my best friend was in this class. She's in another one. I hope she doesn't make new friends and forget about me."

Kurt didn't like seeing his new friend sad. "If she does, I'll be your new best friend."

"Really?" The little boy nodded. "Lucy is my only friend. Now I've gots two friends. I can't wait to tell my mommy and daddies."

At nine thirty, their teacher released them for morning recess. The kindergarteners had a separate playground that they shared with the first and second graders. Their recess was a little later than theirs though.

Rachel and Kurt held hands as they went over to the swings. There was no one else there, and they decided to swing. Rachel knew she had to pump her legs like her parents had taught her if she wanted to go higher.

Azimio decided he wanted the swing Rachel was on and pushed her off as she was coming back. The little girl burst into sobs at the sight of her skinned knees and scraped hands. Kurt stopped his swing and went to help his friend up. He tried to get her to stop crying, but she wouldn't. Lucy and her friends were walking towards the swings when they heard the sound of someone crying.

"Only babies cry." Santana said.

Lucy frowned at that. "They could be hurted. I cry when I have an owie."

"Me too," Brittany said. Santana frowned at that.

"I guess." She amended.

Lucy realized that she recognized the crying and immediately started sprinting towards the swing set with Santana and Brittany trailing behind her. She spotted the tiny brunette and rushed to her friend's side. "Rae, are you okay?"

Watery brown eyes met clear hazel eyes. Lucy didn't like that her friend was sad. Rachel shook her head before she renewed her crying. Lucy turned towards the boy beside her and glared. "Why is she crying?" She demanded of the little boy.

Kurt's eyes widened at the angry blonde in front of him. "That boy," he pointed at Azimio who was on the play structure now, "Pushed her off the swings. She hurt her knees and hands."

Lucy was angry. It was her job to make sure her friend didn't get hurt. She stormed off to take care of the mean boy. He may have been bigger than her, but no one got away with being bad to Rachel. "Hey stupid," she called to him.

The darker boy looked up at the blonde in front him. He smirked. "What you want?"

"You need to say sorry to my friend for pushing her off the swings."

The boy chortled. "I'm not sorry. Your friend is a cry baby."

Lucy had had enough of this boy and pushed him into the wood chips. "You better not make her cry again." She glared at the boy like she had seen her sister do several times. Azimio was at least smart enough not to do or say anything to the blonde girl.

Lucy marched back over to her friend with a confident stride. She wouldn't let anyone hurt her Rae. Rachel was still crying when her best friend returned, and Lucy helped the girl up and took her to the nurse's office. She held her hand as the nurse disinfected the scrapes and placed Band-Aids on them. The blonde kissed her friend's hand, and was rewarded with a small smile.

The nurse called their teachers to let them know they were on their way back to class. "Rae, you tell me when people are being mean to you. I will take care of you always."

She was surprised when Rachel pulled her into a hug, but she hugged her back. She patted her back as she cried a bit more. When she pulled back, Rachel looked a little pink. "Thanks Lu." Lucy dropped Rachel off at her classroom before going to her own. She made sure to glare at the boy first though.

When Rachel's parents arrived to pick her up, the girl was in much better spirits. She ran into her mother's arms and clung to her neck for dear life. "Mommy," she squealed. "I missed you." Shelby chuckled at her daughter's exuberance.

"Did you have a good day baby?"

Rachel nodded. "I got hurt."

The mother frowned at this. "How did you get hurt?"

"This boy pushed me off the swings. I got hurt on my knees and hands. Lucy took me to the nurse. She put that stuff that makes it sting on it. Then she let me pick out what Band-Aids I wanted." Shelby kissed both of her daughter's hands. Leroy and Hiram were talking to the teacher about the playground incident. The teacher told them she would keep an eye on the situation. She did tell them that the boy seemed almost afraid to go near their daughter now though.

Rachel laid her head down on her mother's shoulder. "Can we go now?" She was tired. It had been a long day.

"Yes honey, we can go now. Your daddies are grabbing your lunchbox and backpack."

As they were walking out, they spotted Lucy and her mommy. "Feel better Rae," Lucy called out. Shelby suspected there was something else there. She knew Lucy was protective over her daughter, and looked out for her best interests. She watched as the little girl said something to her mother before running in their direction. "That boy won't pick on you no more. I took care of it." The mother knew that there had to be a reason why the boy was scared of her daughter. He was much bigger than the girl, but Lucy wasn't one to take anyone's crap. She inwardly smiled because she technically shouldn't be encouraging that behavior.

_December 1999_

Rachel smiled at the sight on the other side of her window. White flakes slowly drifted to the ground, adding to the already shiny effect of the snow. Her mommy was coming for the weekend, and the little girl was on a high. Hanukkah was going to start on Saturday, and she was beyond excited. It was Friday night, and her dad had gone to pick up her mom.

Leroy was busy making dinner in the kitchen, while Rachel played up in her room. She really wanted to be playing in the fresh snow, but her dad had told her it was going to get dark soon. She would have all day Saturday to play. The girl sighed in disappointment and trudged up the stairs to her bedroom.

She had two more weeks left of school, and her birthday was in two weeks as well. She was going to be five. Everyone made fun of her for being younger. Kurt was already six. His birthday was in May, but his dad had kept him back a year after his mother died. Quinn was turning six in February. Britt's birthday was in April, and she wasn't sure when Santana's was. She was too scared to ask. All she knew though was that everyone was turning six before her.

Rachel stared at the window and squealed loudly when she saw the headlights in her driveway. Before her daddy could catch her, the girl was down the stairs and out the door, running straight into her mommy's arms. Shelby kissed her daughter's entire face causing the girl to giggle.

"Gee Rachel, way to make us feel loved." Hiram teased his daughter. He knew how much she missed her mother when she was away. No amount of phone calls would make up for her mother being gone most of the time.

"Just missed mommy soooo much." She snuggled into the crook of her mother's neck, inhaling the flowery smell of her mom's perfume. "Smells nice," she mumbled sleepily. Shelby chuckled as she carried the child into the house.

"Next time Rach, why don't you wait for a coat and some shoes?" Leroy chuckled.

"No time for that." The child grumbled. "Had to get to mommy." The mother kissed her daughter's head.

"I'm glad I'm appreciated. I missed you too baby." She was only there for the weekend, but she would be back in two weeks for Rachel's birthday, Christmas, and New Years.

_Saturday Afternoon_

Lucy ran up to the front door of the Berry's and knocked loudly. Her and Rachel were going to be playing in the snow all day. She was all bundled up in her puffy blue coat with matching hat, gloves, and scarf. Her black snow boots were new as well. Lucy's parents had said something about a growth spurt, whatever that meant.

The door opened to reveal Shelby. "Hi Ms. Shelby, is Rachel ready?" The little girl wasted no time in letting the mom know what she was really there for.

Shelby smothered a laugh. "Yes Luce, she's coming down now."

Lucy jumped for joy. There was nothing better than being able to play with Rachel. Her best friend was coming down the stairs with her pink parka, her sparkly pink hat, her Barbie gloves, and a pink scarf. Even her snow boots were pink. Her hair was pulled back into a single braid that trailed down her back.

"Let me get a few pictures of the two of you before you turn into icicles." They posed as the mom took pictures of her daughter and her daughter's best friend. They made lots of silly faces. Shelby had gotten several pictures later on of the two of them playing in the snow. Frannie had shown up eventually, and Shelby joined them outside in a snowball fight. Her and Frannie were against Lucy and Rachel. By the end of the fight, all of them were laughing too hard to continue on.

The four went inside where Leroy and Hiram were hosting Russell and Judy. There was hot cocoa already prepared for them. They removed all of their snow gear and collapsed on the couch in a heap. Rachel was on her mother's lap, snuggled into her chest. It had been the best first day of Hanukkah yet. She didn't care about whatever her parents were going to give her later. This moment was good enough for her. She had her best friend, Frannie, her aunt and uncle, and all three of her parents. These moments were rare and special, and the little girl valued them more than any material possession. Of course, she still wanted the gift, but the present was more like the cherry on top of an already good ice cream sundae.

She watched in delight as her father lit the menorah and recited the blessings. She didn't know any Hebrew yet besides the alphabet and a few songs that she learned at Hebrew school. Her mom was in charge of her gift for the night and handed her a small box.

The girl opened it to reveal a sterling silver necklace with her name on it. There was even a little star at the end. "Thanks mommy," she radiated happiness. She rushed upstairs to her room to get her gift for her mom and best friend. She knew Lucy wasn't Jewish, but she still begged her dads to let her get something.

"Here you go," she handed one to her mom and the other to a surprised Lucy. "I know you're not Jewish Lu, but I had to get it for you." Lucy opened the box to see a charm bracelet. There were three charms, an R, an L, and a BFF charm.

"Thank you Rae, I love it." She hugged the other girl. "Mommy can you help me put it on?" Judy clasped the bracelet on her daughter's thin wrist. She couldn't help but smile at her goddaughter. Rachel was one of a kind.

Shelby clutched her heart as she saw the locket Rachel had picked out for her. On the outside was mom engraved in cursive lettering. There was a picture on the inside of Rachel from the day she was born and her first day of school. It was a special gift, and she looked over Rachel's head and mouthed thank you to Leroy and Hiram. They nodded in understanding.

The night ended and the Fabrays left to go home. Rachel smiled sadly as Lucy got in her car. She waved halfheartedly. She wouldn't see her until school on Monday, and tomorrow her mom was leaving to go back to New York.

_December 18th _

Rachel bounced around her house in excitement. She was officially five years old. Sure to some people that might not seem like that big of a deal, but to the little girl, it meant being the same age as her friends. Of course, she pushed out of her mind that most of her friends were about to turn six. For now, she just wanted to fit in.

Her mom was going to be there with her for the next two weeks. Lucy was sleeping over. Her parents had a huge surprise for her. Christmas was in seven days. Why shouldn't the five year old be on cloud nine?

She was in her party dress. It was red with white polka dots and lots of tulle. It flared out when Rachel would spin. Her mommy had tied up half her hair with a red ribbon and curled her normally straight hair. She posed for pictures because her parents couldn't help themselves.

The party wasn't starting until two o'clock, and Rachel had felt she had already waited an impossibly longtime to celebrate. Every time she asked her parents how much longer, she never received the answer she wanted. When the doorbell rang, the girl hopped off the couch and ran to open it. She pulled it open to see Lucy and the rest of them, but all she cared about was the fact that her bestest friend in the whole wide world was there. She threw her arms around Lucy and squealed in delight.

"Happy Birthday Rae," the blonde haired girl smiled at the now five year old. "You are five now." She screeched loudly causing her friend to giggle.

"I know. My mommy is here too. She got here yesterday." She grabbed Lucy's hand and dragged her up to her newly redecorated bedroom. This was her surprise. She had been sleeping in the guestroom for the last week. "Look at my new room," the tiny brunette said, twisting the doorknob and throwing open her door.

The walls were now lavender instead of bright pink. There is a side of the room devoted entirely to Broadway with the New York skyline painted in black on the wall. There was now a canopy bed in place of the old toddler one. The sheets were light green with purple flowers. There was a white vanity with all of Rachel's hair things and other accessories. New hooks had been placed on the wall for the girl to hang up her hats and coats.

"Wow," Lucy gasped as she gazed around the room. It looked totally different from the last time she had been in there. "I like it."

"It's cool. My mommy even helped. She picked out my bed and new sheets. My daddies picked out the paint to go with the sheets." Rachel was mesmerized with her bedroom. While she had liked her old one, this one was much newer. Besides pink wasn't her favorite color anymore.

"I got you a present." Lucy had noticed that she was still carrying a gift bag. She bit her lip because she was afraid Rachel might not like it. She offered the bag to her friend who eagerly took it in her small hands.

Rachel quickly pulled the tissue paper out to reveal a silver frame with a picture in it. Tears leaked from her eyes. "You don't like it." Lucy was saddened that her friend didn't like her gift. She had thought really hard about what she wanted to get her Rae, but when she saw the frame at the store, she knew it would be perfect.

Rachel shook her head. "No, no I love it. I need pictures for my room. This is good." The silver picture frame was engraved with Lucy and Rachel. Inside the frame was the very first photo they ever took together, five years ago exactly. "You are my first friend."

"I know. And you're my best friend."

"Forever?"

"Forever, I promise." Rachel smiled at her friend. If there was one person that she wanted to best friends with forever, it was Lucy Quinn Fabray. She was the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for her. She took care of all the mean people who tried to hurt her. She knew how to make her feel better when she was sad. She could even pick out the most perfect birthday present ever. Rachel was going to hold Lucy to that promise.

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><p><strong>AN- Let me know what you guys think. Personally, I thought it was very cute. **


	4. Bye Bye

**A/N- This chapter is a little sad. Not all my updates are going to be daily. This week is kind of a rarity. It is a bit short, but I'll make up with that in later chapters. This chapter isn't beta'd so sorry for any mistakes**

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><p>A blonde haired little girl crossed her arms angrily as she glared at her parents. They had just delivered the worst news possible. "She can't move." She said emphatically.<p>

Her parents smiled sadly at their daughter. "Her dad was offered a job that he just can't turn down."

Lucy Quinn's bottom lip quivered and her parents knew the tears would soon be making an appearance. "She's going to get a new best friend and forget all about me."

Judy and Russell shared an amused smile. The mother kneeled down in front of her daughter and gently cupped her face. "Sweetie, Rachel will never forget you. It may be a while before you see each other again, but you can call and write letters."

Lucy sniffled. "It's not the same." She mumbled sadly. She knew long distance anything never worked out. "We will get busy. She's got all her dance and vocal lessons. She will be at a new school with a bunch of new kids. I'm starting cheer soon. We are going into sixth grade, and everyone says it's harder than elementary school."

"I'm sorry. I know you don't want this to happen but it is. The Berry's are moving at the end of next week."

Lucy pushed her mother away and ran upstairs to her bedroom. She fell face forward onto her bed as she began to cry. Her best friend was leaving her. It was Lucy's job to always protect the smaller girl. Rachel was going to a new place where she couldn't do that anymore. She would find someone else that would replace her.

The doorbell rang at the Berry household. "I'll get it." Rachel yelled. She ran down the stairs and pulled open the door to see her best friend with red, puffy eyes and a red nose.

She was immediately concerned. "Are you okay Lucy?"

Lucy watched her best friend with sad eyes. "You're moving." It wasn't a question.

Rachel took a step back and bit her lip. "I guess your parents told you." Lucy nodded. "I would have, but they said that they should. I'm really sorry."

The blonde avoided looking her in the eyes. She knew it would hurt more if she did. "I don't know what to say. You're going to New York. That's pretty far."

Rachel nodded her head. She knew that. She's visited her mommy before, and she had to take a plane. She's never had to ride in the car to go there before, but she will be next week, "We will still call each other and be best friends." Then she chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "If you want to, I mean."

Lucy frowned. "Do you want to?"

The brunette stared at her like she was crazy. "What kind of question is that? You've been my best friend since the day I first came home. Of course, I want to stay best friends. We will have to work out when to call each other. It won't be like now because we always know when each other is home. I won't get to see you at school anymore either. But my dads said we could come back in the summer. I know next summer seems like forever away, but you promised we would be best friends forever."

Lucy sucked in a breath at the reminder. Best friends were supposed to protect each other. She couldn't protect her if she lived in a completely different state. "Rae, I don't want you to move."

Rachel licked her lips. She had expected this reaction, which is why she was sort of glad that her aunt and uncle decided to deliver the news to Lucy. Guilt bubbled like acid in her stomach, and she felt on the verge of being sick. "I have to. My dad got offered the job. My mom is there too. I've wanted to spend more time with her for as long as I can remember. You know that. It will be hard, but we can make it." She hoped, but she wasn't going to let Lucy see her doubts and insecurities. Rachel often felt like she wasn't good enough to be Lucy's friend.

It was only recently that she had developed a crush on the blonde headed girl, not that she would ever be brave enough to tell her. There were enough problems as it was without her bringing in her feelings. She wasn't sure Lucy would want to be her friend if she knew that Rachel liked her. The brunette knew that her friend didn't have a problem with gay people, but that didn't mean that she was gay herself.

She exhaled softly. "I will call you as soon as we get there. We can call each other every Friday night unless the other is busy. I won't have dance or vocal lessons those days."

The blonde gazed at her friend through half closed eyes. She was never going to get the girl now. Lucy liked Rachel a lot more than a best friend should, but with the girl moving there was no way she could do anything about it.

"Have you started packing yet?"

Rachel nodded. "My dads are planning to have everything packed by the middle of the week. My bedroom is taking a little longer to pack up. We're leaving the furniture here. They decided not to sell the house, so that we have somewhere to stay when we visit. My mom is helping pick out furniture and stuff like that for the new house. I'll actually be staying with her for a few weeks, while my dads sort out the new house."

Lucy could tell her friend was excited for the movie. She knew that it was always her friend's dream to live in New York City. It had been her goal from the moment she realized her mom was a star on Broadway and who Barbra Streisand was. She was constantly working on her way out of Lima and to her dreams.

"Want to help me pack?" Lucy didn't exactly have anything better else to do. Helping to pack up her best friend so that she could move hundreds of miles away wasn't exactly on the top of her to do list, but she never could resist Rachel's pout.

She shrugged. "I've got nothing else to do." She followed the brunette up to her room. It was devoid of personality. The lavender walls were poster-less. Her vanity had been cleared off. Her clothes were separated into piles on her floor. Her shoes were piled into a box. The hooks on her wall didn't have a single piece of clothing hanging from them. In that moment, the whole move was becoming real to Lucy. Her best friend was leaving at the end of the week.

"I need you to put the clothes over by my closet in that box. Then take the black marker and write charity. I'm donating a lot of clothes because they don't fit anymore." Lucy did as she was told, and watched as her friend began packing her clothes. The brunette would bite her lip in concentration as she tried to fit everything into a box. The blonde snickered at her friend's attempts at packing. She made no mention of offering her help, knowing how Rachel got when people thought she couldn't do something on her own.

Hours later, there was nothing but boxes and a suitcase. Rachel would be living out of a suitcase in her own room for the rest of the week. Lucy wanted to invite her over for a sleepover, but realized that it might not be a good idea. There was still a lot of packing left to do. Rachel still had to pack up all her music from the music room. Then there was cleaning the house and putting dust covers on the furniture. They had to prepare the house for when they would all be gone.

"Will you stop by again to say goodbye?" Rachel was trying really hard not to cry.

Lucy had no such qualms as tears were streaming down her face. "I will." She gave her friend a brief hug before rushing out the house. She couldn't stand to be around the sadness any longer. It was becoming all too much for her. Reality was hitting full force. She slammed her front door and ran up the stairs without talking to anyone else.

The little blonde was angry with everyone. Not only was she losing her Rae, her sister would be leaving in a year for college. She was losing two of the most important people in her life. It just wasn't fair. Lucy cried into her pillow, knowing that the week ahead was going to be pure torture.

_Moving Day_

Rachel sat on the edge of her front porch as she watched the movers load their belongings into the moving truck. Lucy hadn't so much as called her since she left her house a few days before. It would only be worse if she called her. She had to give her the space she deserved and needed to process everything. The brunette had given up hope of seeing her friend before she left though.

The truck was almost packed, and they would be leaving as soon as it was done. Her aunt and uncle and Frannie had come over the day before to say goodbye. Rachel had tried not to let her disappointment show when they told her Lucy had cheer practice and was sleeping over at Santana's. Her heart broke a tiny bit as she attempted not to feel like she was being replaced. She had always believed their friendship would last until the end of time.

An hour later, the last box was loaded onto the truck. By this point, Rachel knew she wouldn't be seeing Lucy and wiped angrily at a few lone tears. She hopped up from her place on the porch and grabbed her backpack. She walked to her family's car when she heard it.

"RAE!" Lucy yelled from down the street. She was running as fast as she could to catch her friend before she left.

Rachel dropped her backpack and ran to her friend. They met in the middle of the street in a hug. "Promise me you won't forget me?" Lucy whispered into her ear.

"No one could forget you. I promise." She murmured. With one last squeeze, they broke apart from their hug. Both of them were crying, but made no attempt to hide the tears. "I love you Lu."

"I love you too Rae. Have a safe trip and call me."

Rachel waved at her friend as her family pulled out of the driveway. She watched her friend until she was nothing but a speck in the distance.

Lucy watched helplessly as her friend, her best friend slowly drove away from her. They had so many plans, and now they were all ruined. She made her way home where she took comfort in her sister's arms. Frannie was devastated that Rachel was moving as well. She was not only Lucy's big sister but Rachel's too. "It'll be okay Luce."

The girl shook her head. It would never be okay that Rae was gone. How was she supposed to get on without her best friend there? "Come on, I'll take you to the movies to give your mind a rest for a while."

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><p><strong>AN- One of the hardest things in life is to leave to your best friend. Don't worry, they'll see each other again one day.**


	5. 2007

**A/N- So two years have passed between this chapter and the last. There will be one more chapter before the two meet again. Things have gotten complicated in their friendship. It happens to most friendships when one friend moves away. They're both growing up and trying to figure out themselves. All mistakes are mine.**

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><p><em>May 2007<em>

"Mom, have you seen my sheet music?" Rachel was frantically searching her bedroom for the missing music. She had sworn she left it on her nightstand the night before.

Shelby rolled her eyes. Rachel had been a basket case for the last week. "Rach, it's on the piano where you left it last night."

_Oh yeah_, she thought. She practiced for hours the night before because today was the final rehearsal for the end of the year showcase at her school. She had switched schools between sixth and seventh grade. She convinced her parents to let her audition for a performing arts school, knowing that chances were slim of actually getting in. When the letter came in the mail, she was too nervous to open it and had her mother do the honors.

To make her commute to school easier, she had moved in with her mother in her Manhattan penthouse. It was much closer to her school. She visited her fathers on weekends, and they often came over for dinner. Her dads lived on Long Island. They were close by in case she needed them.

Shelby watched as brown blur passed her, making its' way into the music room. The mother shook her head. "You need to calm down sweetheart." She said from the doorway. "The showcase is important, but this isn't your first time performing."

Rachel sighed. Her mom was right, but the nerves continued to fizzle in her stomach. "I know mom. I want everything to be perfect though. I know you've said to me about a billion times no one is perfect including you, but I still want to try."

"Baby, I don't want you to get so caught up in trying to perfect all the time that you forget what singing really means to you."

They had this discussion on a weekly basis. Rachel had an identity crisis when she started at her new school. It was the first time she had seen people who were just as good as her if not better. In Lima she knew she was the best, and no one had challenged her talent. In New York many people were talent and never got their big breaks. It was mostly luck that separated the haves from the have-nots. It frightened her to know that her dreams could be dashed before they even started.

She freaked out for a month before one of her teachers had complimented her on her voice and technique. The girl came home as proud as a peacock that day. Rachel practiced for three hours every day. Then she either had an extra voice or dance lesson. She had her competitions on weekends. Sometimes Shelby swore she gave birth to the Energizer Bunny with all the energy her child seemed to have.

Rachel collected her music from the piano, and put it into her performance folder. "I'm nervous. There are going to be a lot of people there tomorrow."

Shelby's face softened as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. "All you need to worry about is your performance. The only people that truly matter are your dads and me, who have taken off work just to see you. Afterwards, all three of us are taking you to a celebratory dinner. We couldn't be prouder of you. We know how much work has gone into this. You were picked for one of the five coveted spots in the seventh grade class."

Rachel leaned into her mother's embrace. "How do you and my dads always know the right words to say?"

The older brunette kissed the crown of her daughter's head. "It's a parent thing. You'll understand one day. Now get your bag together, or you'll be late for school." She swatted the girl's behind to get her moving.

"Very sneaky," the girl muttered, rubbing her backside. Her mother smiled innocently at her.

She collected the rest of her schoolwork that was due. It was the last official day of school before they broke for the summer. Tomorrow was performance day. Then the following day, which was a Saturday, the seniors would be graduating.

_Lima_

Lucy took her glasses off as she stretched in preparation for her tryout. Her, Santana, and Brittany were all trying out for the junior Cheerios. Tryouts were always done before school ended. They had heard about Sue Sylvester and her evil ways, but they knew they could handle her.

She tied up her long blonde hair into a ponytail. She double knotted her shoes. She was slightly nervous, but schooled her facial features to give nothing away. She created her mask to hide her true feelings especially once her best friend was gone. Rachel had called often in the beginning and visited over the summer. She gushed about how she was accepted into this prestigious performing arts school. Lucy remembered how nervous the brunette was before her audition. She called constantly for reassurance.

Then as the new school year picked up, the phone calls came less often. Her messenger account was offline every time she had logged in. She knew she had made a mistake the previous summer, but she didn't realize it would cost her a friendship.

"Have you heard from Berry?" Santana asked her.

She sighed and shook her head. "I want to ask Kurt, but I'm almost afraid of the answer. My parents told me that she wouldn't be visiting this summer. Her parents found her some intensive Broadway camp that is all summer long. She didn't even call to tell me that herself." Lucy found herself disappointed and hurt with the news. Hiram and Leroy would be visiting for two weeks, but their daughter would be at some sleep away camp with kids who shared the similar interests and dreams.

"I'm sorry." Santana truly felt bad for the blonde. Rachel was to Lucy what Britt was to her. The girl was different when she visited the previous summer. Her clothes no longer consisted of skirts and old people clothing. She had cut off several inches of hair and grew out her bangs. "I wish I could help you."

Lucy shrugged. "Maybe it is for the best." Neither one of them really believed that. Instead they both did what they were best at, and closed themselves off. They began running when the coach blew her whistle.

_New York City_

She had finished her set in the showcase. Rachel was on a complete high. Everyone had applauded her performance, and many of her classmates and some of the upperclassmen were congratulating her. She soaked up the praise like a sponge.

What she hadn't expected to see was a young blonde woman waiting for her in the wings. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things, and when she realized she wasn't she ran straight into her arms. "Frannie," she breathed softly.

Frannie chuckled. "Hey kiddo, you were amazing. I knew you were going to be amazing."

Rachel blushed as humbleness overwhelmed her. It was different with Frannie. "Thanks, what are you doing here though?"

"Well your dads had told me about your performance today, and I go to school in Boston. I took the train to come see you. I recently finished my exams, and decided to make a slight detour on my way home."

The girl stared at her amazed and somewhat touched that someone was willing to do all that for her. "You did that for me?"

"Of course Rach, I can't wait until I can say I knew you when."

"Aw shucks," she said shyly. "Thank you for coming to see me."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world. You were truly meant to be a star. I'm glad I have my own star right here on Earth."

Rachel threw her arms around the girl again. "I can't believe you're really here."

"Believe it babe."

Rachel dragged Frannie out to where her parents were. Frannie did a double take at Shelby and Rachel side by side. While it was obvious they were mother and daughter when Rachel was younger, they practically looked like twins now. There were a few differences like their eyes and Rachel's skin was a little tanner.

Leroy wrapped her up in a big hug before she could think anymore about the mother and daughter. "Look at you Francesca, you've blossomed." She turned crimson at the compliment. "You are stunning, and I'm going to have to meet any potential suitors from this point on."

Frannie rolled her eyes at her godfather. He was absolutely ridiculous. Hiram pushed his husband out of the way to hug the girl as well. "He is right about one thing," Leroy scoffed at the dig. "You are stunning. I still remember that little six year old with her two front teeth missing. You had the cutest little lisp."

The blonde playfully pushed him. "You guys are embarrassing."

"Don't I know it," Rachel grumbled.

"Hush you," Leroy said.

"Yes daddy," she said causing Frannie to laugh.

"I can't believe she's almost thirteen. She's got the whole teenager thing down already. I can feel the angst rolling off of her." Rachel scowled at the young woman.

"Come on, we are going out to dinner to celebrate Frannie finishing her first year of college and our little Rachelah." Rachel rolled her eyes at her father. She didn't understand why parents loved to embarrass their children. They acted like they had never been young.

Rachel looped her arm with Frannie's. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

_Oh boy_, the blonde thought.

_Lima_

"Hey family, I'm home." Frannie announced as she walked through her doorway. There was a pounding of feet as everyone rushed to greet her.

Lucy threw her arms around her sister. She hadn't seen her since Christmas because she spent spring break with some friends. "Wow look at you, you've gotten tall. You've filled out a little more over the last few months."

A cough caused them to break apart. Both girls were looking a little flushed as their father shifted uncomfortably. "Hi daddy," she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. "How's the diet going?" She teased him endlessly about the fact that her mother had him eating what he called 'rabbit food'. He loved his steak about as much as Lucy loved her bacon.

"Damn woman, controlling everything I eat. I swear she has spies or something because every time I'm about to order something unhealthy when I go out with friends, she's there calling me to remind me about the diet."

Frannie sniggered at her father's situation. She wasn't sure how her mother always knew things, but she did. It made it difficult for her when she lived there. Judy nudged her husband in the ribs causing him to wince slightly. He glanced at her warily and smiled sheepishly.

The older woman shook her head at her husband. "He's like a dog with a bone." She told her daughter. "How are you dear?"

"I'm great. I stopped off in New York before coming home. Our little star is one amazing performer. She got a standing ovation by the entire audience. She wasn't even the last one to go on."

"You saw Rachel?" Lucy spoke up.

Frannie angled her body to face her sister. "Yeah, she's doing amazing. She's top in her class. She told me about this camp she's going to this summer. I went back to her home and she gave me a tour of her room. It is impressive looking."

Lucy's heart broke. Rachel was doing well without her. She was achieving her dreams, and there wasn't a place for her there anymore. "That's good. Was she happy?"

"The kid was on cloud nine or something. She was bouncing all over the place. Her mom said she's not allowed to have caffeine or sugar."

"Her mom?" Judy and Russell had gone to the kitchen to continue their discussion while the two sisters took up residence in the family room.

"She lives with Shelby now. Her mom lives a lot closer to her school. She stays with her dads on weekends, but lives full time with her mom."

"She didn't tell me that." It seemed Rachel had stopped telling her a lot of things.

Frannie wasn't sure how to respond. "Oh, I thought you knew. She lives with Shelby, and the kiddo loves it. I never really got to see them interact before, but watching them is fascinating. While we know that she is close with her dads, I think it is great for her to have a mom at this time in her life. Lots of confusing things are happening, and Shelby is in the business."

Lucy sighed miserably. "I'm glad she's happy. Does she have friends?" It wasn't a secret that the brunette didn't have that many friends in Lima. She had Lucy, Kurt, Brittany, and Santana. Sometimes she had an on and off friendship with Mercedes. Noah and her shared some sort of strange camaraderie from going to the same synagogue.

Frannie hesitated, not sure if she wanted to reveal what she knew. She wanted to shield her sister from her being hurt, but she didn't want her to worry over the other girl either. She decided it was best to just go with the truth. "She's in her element. Unlike here in Lima, there are people who share the same interests and goals as her. However instead of being extremely competitive with one another, they have some sort of strange comradeship. They respect and help each other. I mean they are still a little bloodthirsty when it comes to proving whom the best is; but they are there for one another. Rachel is considered one of the best students there, and has made quite a few friends by helping out others."

"Rae is a team player?" To most this would sound like a slight against her friend's character, but Rachel had been somewhat selfish.

The older sister snorted. "Yeah I guess she is. She's learning a lot and growing up. I know she will definitely be on Broadway one day. I didn't know it was possible for her to get better, but her voice sounds clearer than ever. It's matured considerably."

Lucy didn't know how that could be possible. The girl already sounded like an angel, and the last time she had heard her sing was two years ago. "I guess that's all I can ask for."

Frannie bumped her shoulder against Lucy's. "She hasn't forgotten about you. That picture frame you gave her for her tenth birthday is proudly displayed on her night stand."

Lucy smiled at her sister. While it didn't make-up for cutting off all contact, it reaffirmed to her that Rachel was still her friend. She still had a place in the girl's life even after her mistakes.

_New York_

"Bye dad, daddy, I hope you guys have a wonderful time in Lima. Let everyone know I love them." She pecked both of her fathers on the cheek.

"Will do sweetheart, and stay out of trouble." Rachel placed a hand on her chest, offended by that accusation. "Don't even give me that look because I was the one who had to talk to the neighbors after you pitched a softball into their window." Hiram and Shelby sniggered in the background at their daughter's face. Her mouth opened and closed so much so that she reminded them of a fish out of water. "Keep your mouth shut or you'll let flies in." Her mouth shut quickly as color quickly flooded her cheeks.

"Why must you guys constantly tease me?" She pouted adorably.

"We are your parents. It is in the job description." Rachel continued to sulk pathetically in order to gain some sympathy, however her dad and mom continued to snicker like children. "Oh grow up you two, Shelby you're in your thirties now and Hiram, I don't think you want me say your age out loud." Leroy snapped causing Rachel to start chortling at how the tables had turned on her other two parents. Leroy heard and turned his glare on her. She shut up immediately.

They finished their goodbyes and Rachel and Shelby headed back to their penthouse. Rachel couldn't help but feel that she should've gone with them, but the thought was pushed away as soon as it came. If there was somewhere she never wanted to go again it was Lima.

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><p><strong>AN- I know Rachel seems a bit heartless, but she has her reasons for not going. Lucy is in the ****midst of undergoing her transformation into Quinn, HBIC. **


	6. Fire Starter

**A/N- Hello my lovelies, I was going to post this a few days ago, but I've been having problems with the site. So this is the last big time gap before are favorite couple finally meets up again. I unfortunately don't own Glee, otherwise I would've changed a lot of stuff. **

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><p><em>January 2009<em>

It was a Saturday night, but Rachel was splayed across her couch, channel surfing. She normally would've had plans, but most of her friends were busy. She sighed when she couldn't find a single thing to watch on television.

She pushed herself off of the couch and headed down the hall to her bedroom. The brunette had thought a lot about social media recently, and realized that it might be a good way for agents and scouts to see her. Her laptop was open on her desk and she ran her finger over the mouse to wake it up. She pulled up her web browser. She carefully typed in Facebook. It was a recent development and many of her friends preferred it to MySpace.

She went through the sign up process and it suggested people she might know. Most of her classmates had accounts and she quickly added them. While she resided in New York, her hometown was Lima. She was shocked that it had suggested people from there. She pushed away her guilt because friendship was a two way street. If Lucy had really wanted to be her friend, she wouldn't have let Rachel cut her out of her life like that in the first place.

Rachel uploaded a recent picture of her and her mom from when they went to The Central Park Zoo. It became her profile picture and she soon began uploading a lot of the pictures she had on her computer. Tears sprung to her eyes when she came across one of her and Lucy on their first day of kindergarten. Against her better judgment she chose to upload it. Most of her childhood photos included her former best friend, as normally one couldn't be found without the other.

The caption read _Rachel and Lucy, August 1999. _The house phone rang and she closed her computer before going to answer it.

_Lima_

Lucy was now going by her middle name. Being Lucy hurt too much. It reminded her of everything she lost, and she wanted to be someone new. Besides the name Lucy sounded childish in her opinion. She was Quinn, the feared Cheerio. Her classmates had dubbed her as the Ice Queen. She loved the terrified expressions of her peers. It made her feel in control.

She pulled up her Facebook to see what everyone was up to. Most of her friends were at Puck's party. She had been invited herself, but that wasn't really her scene. Her thoughts drifted to Rachel as she wondered what she was doing on a Saturday night.

The blonde decided to try another search, even though her last ones weren't promising.

She typed in the search bar the girl's name and hit enter. She scrolled through the names until a profile picture caught her eye. There in the picture was Rachel and her mother Shelby.

Quinn clicked on her profile and crossed her fingers hoping the brunette didn't have any privacy settings. She thanked her lucky stars that Rachel didn't. Browsing through Rachel's recently uploaded photos, made her realize exactly how much she had missed. One photo in particular had stopped her scrolling. Disbelief washed over her, as she couldn't stop staring because this one photo meant more to her than any phone call would. It meant that there was still a chance for them in the future, and that not everything was as bad as it seemed. They just needed a bit more time.

_Spring 2009_

Rachel was seated with her mother and fathers in front of the dean's desk. "Rachel, do you understand how serious this is?" Dean Milton asked her.

The teenager was at the end of her rope. "I told you before that he had tried to touch me inappropriately. I reported it several times, but you told me I was mistaken. He was going to fail me because of all the lessons I had skipped to avoid him unless I had sex with him. I recorded that conversation too. You never want to listen to what I have to say though."

Her parents gaped at her in surprise, as this was the first time they were hearing about this. "What does she mean that she's told you about her piano teacher's behavior?" Shelby demanded.

Dean Milton cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Well Rachel has mentioned that she felt unsafe with Mr. Ryerson, but everyone here knows the girl's penchant for the dramatic."

Leroy was instantly angry. "That does not mean you should ignore her. Did it ever occur to you to check out her story?"

The woman smiled tightly as she regarded the three parents. "No, it did not. I had discussed Rachel's behavior and unwillingness to attend lessons with Mr. Ryerson, and he told me the girl had been disrespectful from the first lesson."

"Are you serious? You are an educator, and your first priority should be the students." Hiram was furious with Dean Milton and her disregard for his child's safety.

"Look the Shriver Performing Arts School has a reputation to maintain. We've never had a teacher in all our history do what Mr. Ryerson has been accused of. Without proof your daughter has nothing."

Rachel decided to take out her phone and play the recorded conversation of her and Mr. Ryerson. It was clear to whom the voices belonged to as the recording played.

"Look Rach-" an angry Rachel cut him off. "My name is Rachel. I never gave you permission to call me by anything other than my legal name."

"Honey, it doesn't matter what I call you because you will fail my course. If you fail my course, you know what will happen." There was some scuffling and shuffling heard before he continued on. "You will be put on probation by the school and will be forced to repeat my course. However, I am willing to as they say exchange goods." His voice sounded much closer than it had in the beginning.

"I'm sorry?" The fear in Rachel's voice was as clear as night.

"If you give me what I desire, I will give you what you desire which is to pass my course." All three parents shivered at the slimy voice. They were disgusted that such a person was employed at their daughter's school.

"Mr. Ryerson," the girl's voice quivered as she caught on to his intentions. "I don't think this is an appropriate conversation for school grounds or for a man of your age to be having with someone as young as I."

More footsteps could be heard and the parents assumed it was Mr. Ryerson trying move closer and Rachel backing away. "All I want is a little coitus from you. You're one of the most talented and sexy students I've ever had." He husked.

"Okay Rach, I don't think we need to hear anymore." Shelby covered her daughter's hand in support. "I think we can come to some sort of compromise here. We will remove Rachel from the school as long as you don't mark this on her permanent record. We will not press charges either as long as he is fired from his position."

Dean Milton prided herself on being able to read people. She knew she had no choice but to comply with Ms. Corcoran. The girl's mother had a lot of clout, and could easily make sure that this was all over the nightly news and in every newspaper across the country. "Fine I will accept the terms of the agreement." She didn't want to have to go before the board and explain why she ignored the girl's complaints. It was better this way because she had less of a chance of losing her job. "Rachel will not be expelled, and this will stay off of her record. But she will be charged for the damage done to school property."

All the parents shared a look at that. "Yes, you are welcome to send us the bill." Dean Milton was glad to see the back of them when they exited her office ten minutes later.

"Mom," Rachel started before Shelby cut her off with an angry glare. The girl smartly closed her mouth and got in the car. Her fathers said they would meet the pair at Shelby's.

"Just don't say anything Rachel," she replied as she began rubbing her temples. The mother had never thought she could ever be so disappointed in her child. That was before she got called into her school because her child had set a teacher's desk on fire. While she understood the girl's reasoning for doing it, that didn't stop the disappointment from flowing through her. Her daughter had risked a lot more than her education with that little stunt. She risked her own life because the fire had spread. The authorities had decided to leave it in the hands of school since they weren't pressing charges.

Rachel quietly trailed after her mother when they arrived to their building. Even Bill, the doorman, didn't give his usual greeting when he saw the solemn look on the girl's face. "When we get to the penthouse, I want you to go straight to your room. We will talk when your fathers arrive." The girl wisely kept her mouth shut and nodded to let her mother know she heard her.

She did as her mother asked and went straight to her room. Rachel knew she had gone a bit far, but she was desperate. Dean Milton refused to listen to her please when she had mentioned the situation with Mr. Ryerson. Him propositioning her for sex was the last straw. She had dealt with him for an entire semester, and she was completely fed up. High school was becoming too much for the teen, as there was a lot more pressure placed on students especially those deemed prodigies. Many of her classmates knew she was destined for the stage and had told her so.

_Lima_

"Quinn Fabray report to Sylvester's office." Quinn's face flushed brightly, wondering what she could've done to cause Sue's wrath. Many of the Cheerios in the room snickered at the freshman that is until Santana glared murderously at them.

Quinn quickly exited the classroom and headed straight for Sue's office. She knocked before entering and took a seat in front of the coach's desk.

"Q, do you know why I have asked you in here?" She shook her head. "I've decided to promote you to captain of the Cheerios." She was shocked, but made sure her expression gave away nothing. "You have more potential than all my previous captains put together. You better not disappoint. Now get out of my office."

Quinn didn't need to be told twice and scurried out of the office. She was on a high as she was the youngest captain in the history of the Cheerios. No freshman had ever achieved such success or received any sort of praise from Sue. She walked the halls with an air of arrogance and confidence. Her days of being bullied were long over.

She swaggered down the hallway and smirked at any lingering students. Most of the student population was already terrified of her for just being a Cheerio, but now a new reign had begun with her at the helm. When she walked back into class, she smiled deviously at her fellow cheerleaders who had laughed at her not ten minutes before. They would be running suicides at that afternoon's practice.

She took her seat with poise and grace. A ruler must strategize if they wanted to keep their empire. There would be no dissent as there was with the previous captain. If they didn't respect her now, they soon would. Santana leaned over and asked her what Sue wanted. "I've been promoted." She stated as if it were nothing.

The Latina sat back in her seat and stared at her friend in astonishment. "Are you serious?" Quinn nodded shortly before returning her attention to taking notes.

At practice that afternoon, the cheerleaders from her class were running suicides. Quinn wouldn't allow them to stop until one of them threw up. A team didn't laugh at its' members. They supported each other, and she couldn't have people she didn't trust. That was how people got injured. When Sarah Hanson finally barfed twenty minutes into running suicides, she allowed them to stop.

She had every single girl and boy on her team line up. She walked down the line and looked every single one of them in the eye before she addressed them.

"As you guys may have noticed, there has been a change of power. I am the new captain. Things are going to be different than what you guys may be accustomed to. I will not tolerate disrespect. Let me be clear about that right now. Sarah Hanson, Emily Williams, and Laura Brunner all learned what happens when you disrespect a member of your team. If I found or see any of you treating members of this team without the proper respect they deserve, I will not hesitate to punish you. We are a TEAM," she emphasized the word. "We have to be able to trust each other, especially with all of the stunts we do. If I feel I cannot trust you, you will lose your position as a member of the Cheerios. Everyone outside of our team is free game, but I don't want anyone to take it too far. I will also see every member of this team tomorrow at five for an early morning practice. Now get out of my sight." They scampered off, all of them glancing back with fear evident in their eyes.

Santana and Brittany hung back and waited for her to finish up. "So Quinn, you're like the queen now?" Britt asked.

"Yes Britt, I'm the Queen of McKinley now." She quite fancied that title.

"I'm your second in command." Santana informed her.

Quinn offered her a brief smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way San."

"I can't believe how fast they ran off. I swore Sarah almost shit her pants when you glared at her."

"Yes, well I don't think she will be giving me trouble any time soon. They are afraid of me and fear is a good weapon to have against any opponent. If wielded properly, people are sure to comply with your every desire and whim. Sarah made a mistake by laughing at me with her little cronies today, and she will be paying for it for sometime."

Although Santana would never admit it, Quinn scared her. She had known the blonde since kindergarten, but she could have never imagined her turning into this shell of a person. She was emotionally distant, and disconnected from the world. Quinn's only friends were her and Britt. She didn't allow any to get too close, and Santana knew why. A certain brunette still held much of Quinn's heart, and she was the key to unlocking her.

Unfortunately, it was like the girl had vanished in thin air. She had deleted her MySpace so it was no longer an option to check up on her. If the girl had a Facebook, it was unknown to her. They had searched for her dozens of times, only to come up empty. They switched their search to the Internet in general, and discovered a few links on Google about the girl. She had performed in several singing competitions, often earning first or second place. She was often spotted around the city with her mother, but she always had sunglasses on her face. Her features weren't as clear as a result.

Santana wished desperately there was something she could do. Quinn was only half of herself, and the Latina didn't think she would ever be whole again without Rachel. She had tried asking Kurt before, and had definitely gotten the impression he was in contact with the diva. He was evasive, and refused to look her in the eye. Santana had watched on multiple occasions, the sad smile he would send her blonde best friend. It gutted her to know that the person who had brought them all together was also the reason they were all apart now. Without Rachel there, there was no one to bridge the gaps between all of them.

Something was going to have to give.

_New York_

Rachel sat with her arms crossed. Her parents were making decisions for her without consulting her. They didn't care about what she wanted, and it was completely unfair.

"I think it would be best if Rachel accompanied us on our move back to Lima. We were originally going to allow her stay here, but…" Rachel drowned out the rest of her daddy's words. They were singlehandedly ruining her life without a single thought or care for her.

"No," she said clearly enough to be heard over the raucous arguing of her parents. "I don't want to move. Why should I have to uproot my entire life to cater to what you want? You barely know me. You and dad are never around. I'm not going back to living in Lima. I refuse to." She stormed off to her room and slammed the door three times to emphasize her point.

The argument lasted into much of the summer with Rachel eventually losing. She was saddened, as she didn't want to leave her mother. She had pointed out that her dads knew nothing about her besides the obvious. She wasn't the one who ruined their relationship, they did. They always called to cancel their weekend plans because something came up that they couldn't get out of.

Her parents did share custody, but her fathers had swayed her mother that maybe leaving New York for a few years could be beneficial for her. She could come back for college in a few years. Rachel didn't appreciate that sentiment as much, and had lashed out at all of her parents from the moment the decision had been made.

"Mom," she whined petulantly. "This isn't fair. Why should my life be ruined because of some sleazy teacher?"

Shelby raked a hand through her hair and sighed. She had this conversation with her daughter every single day for the last three weeks. "Honey, I think it would be good for you to get away. You won't have the pressure to perform all the time, and maybe a break could be good. I would love a break every now and then."

The diva huffed. "I don't want a break though. I love being able to perform all the time. If I move back to Lima, I will have to go back to privates. I won't get to show off my talent like I can here. I have to go back to my old dance studio where obviously I will be ahead of most of the kids because of my extensive training at the school."

The mother truly felt for her daughter. However, Rachel had vastly changed since moving to New York. Some of the changes were good, but a few didn't please her at all. She loved that Rachel's style had evolved beyond plaid, argyle, and animal sweaters. Her daughter's newfound confidence also warmed her heart. Something that didn't please her though was the arrogance that radiated from Rachel. While she would be the first to admit that she could be a little arrogant on occasion, Rachel took it to a whole new level. The girl was also more narcissistic than before, which was saying something. It was only ever at school that she showed her truly personality. And none of her parents appreciated the attitude Rachel seemed to have developed. The girl thought she could do anything she wanted without her parents' permission. She had no regard for rules and consequences anymore. It terrified her to think of what could happen to her daughter if she continued to live in the city. She wanted her to get back to her roots and find a balance between living and performing.

"Rach in life we aren't always given the choice of what we want. Things happen and you have to live with it. I want more for you than just to become another self-centered diva. You are destined to be a star. I know that because you shine brighter than any other star I've seen," her daughter beamed at her. "However, I want you to live. Performing shouldn't become your whole life. It gets exhausting, and you just want to be normal. When I am here in our home, I'm Shelby, Rachel's mom. I'm not a celebrity. I'm a parent. I discipline and guide you. This is me guiding you. You are extraordinary my dear, but doesn't it get tiring for you?"

Rachel pondered her mother's words. Performing was losing some of its' fun when she had to constantly do it. There were competitions and showcases, and she never had a break. Life had been put on the back burner because she never had time for friends. She barely talked to Kurt as it was. On top of school, she had joined show choir. Her classmates admired her, but were often too intimidated to approach her.

It hurt to know that people thought they were so below her. She was still learning like them. She could admit to herself that she was developing a bighead. Everything was going to her head, and that might have led to the assumption that she was unapproachable. "I hate it when you are right." She scowled at her mother.

"I hated when grandma was right when I was growing up. That proves though that you're still a kid. The stage will still be here when you get back. Go and have fun. Learn how to live again, make mistakes because unlike what they tell you at that school, even those who have been in the business for years and years make mistakes. I don't need a perfect daughter. Your talent isn't why I love you. Your friends back in Lima didn't love you because of your talent." Rachel grimaced at the reminder of her former friends. "I know the situation between you and your dads is a bit sensitive right now, but give them a chance. I know they screwed up these last few years, but they can't make it up to you, if you don't let them." She kissed her daughter's head before leaving her to finish packing.

Her mother had certainly given her a lot to think about. Her thoughts kept drifting to a happy time with a blonde, hazel-eyed girl who dominated her entire world. She normally would cut off thoughts of her before she had a chance to sort through them. Her mind flooded with eleven years worth of memories, and the heartache almost crippled her. If there was one thing she was certain of at that moment, it was that things were definitely going to change. What she wasn't sure about was if that was a good or bad thing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN- I know it seems very O/C for Rachel, but this is a Rachel partially raised in NY. Her fathers haven't had an active role, and she's a teenager. Besides it is dramatic enough for her. Quinn can't swallow her pride at the moment, and Rachel doesn't want to give her the time of day.**


	7. Sophomore Year

**A/N-I know this took a while, and for that I am sorry. School is kicking my ass right now. This is the chapter where the story really takes off, but it will be a while before any progress is made between these two. **

* * *

><p><em>Sophomore year, September 2009<em>

Rachel stared apprehensively at William McKinley High School. She hadn't mentioned to any of her old friends that she had moved back, not that she was in contact with (most of) them. Friendships were hard to manage when over five hundred miles separated you. They might as well have been living on opposite sides of the country. New York was constantly in motion, while Lima was a sleepy little town. Not much ever occurred in Lima, but New York City was adventurous, you never knew what was going to happen next. The future was right around the corner as compared to Lima where the future seemed to arrive slowly. She spent the remainder of her summer trying to convince her dads they were making a terrible mistake. Unfortunately her pleas fell on deaf ears. Here she was in the last place she expected to be.

She sighed as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She had changed in the last few years as a result of living in the city. She realized early on that Argyle, plaid, and animal swears were not stylish in the slightest. She had no idea what she was thinking. Actually, she liked the fact that she stood out, but in New York, things were different. Fashion wasn't the only way to stand out. Her first school had uniforms anyways, which settled the problem of choosing what to wear. When she switched to the performing arts school, she decided she didn't want to be teased for her childish wardrobe anymore. She remembered the taunts and insults of her former classmates. She desperately desire to fit in, which is why she had her mom take her shopping for clothes that were on the more fashionable side.

Her talent also helped her a lot as her vocal coach had enrolled her in all sorts of competitions. She joined her school's show choir, and they were ranked #2 in the nation. She received a coveted solo at Nationals. She certainly proved herself. Before she left she was offered a role on Broadway, but her parents turned down the director. None of them liked the idea of their daughter being involved in show business at such a precarious time in her life.

Yes, New York was not like Lima at all. Most of the kids here were destined to never leave. Rachel knew she was destined for bigger and better things, and only had to suck up being there for three years before she could move back to where she belonged. She had already received a taste of what her future held, but knew that three years was an awful longtime to wait. New York held more opportunities for the future starlet, and she wanted her life to fast forward.

A shove from behind, pulled her from her thoughts and she turned to give the person a piece of her mind. She gasped slightly when she realized it was Noah. He didn't seem to recognize her though. _Figures._

"Watch where you're going New Girl." He sneered before moving on. She frowned in disappointment. She didn't think she looked that different. Then again four years had passed since she last saw him. She was still short, but not nearly as short as when she was ten. She was at least 5'2". Her face matured as she lost all of her baby fat, and without the recognizable fashion sense of her younger self, she wasn't a Rachel anyone would expect.

The brunette swallowed back the bile that wanted to make its' way out. There was no reason for her to be so apprehensive. She slowly made her way into the building and entered the front office. School had already been in session for two weeks so on top of being new she was also behind. It was better to start on the first day because there were fewer stares.

The woman at the front desk smiled politely at her. "Can I help you dearie?"

Rachel smiled back. "Yes, it is my first day. I was told I had to get my schedule and locker."

"Rachel Berry-Corcoran?" The woman asked. She nodded. "Here you go, here's your class schedule and on top is your locker and combo. This is a map of the school, and all your classrooms have been highlighted to make it easier for you. I need you to get this paper signed by all your teachers and bring it back to me by the end of the day."

"Thank you."

"No problem sweetheart, have a wonderful first day."

The brunette wasn't so sure about the wonderful part. She didn't want to be there in the first place. She would have to deal with her former tormentors again, and she wasn't ready to face them again. Rachel may not be the same girl, but that never stopped bullies. They lived to torment other kids because it made them feel significant. People like Azimio and Karofsky would never stop picking on others.

* * *

><p>She glanced down at her schedule and groaned. Her first class of the day was Algebra two. She was good at math, but that didn't mean she liked it. She ignored the map for the most part, and just followed the classroom numbers. The map made her seem conspicuous, and she didn't need to stand out. She walked in the room and was thankful that it was still mostly empty. The bell wouldn't ring for another ten minutes.<p>

A middle-aged woman looked up from her planning book, Rachel assumed she was the teacher. "May I help you?"

Rachel stepped forward. "Hi yes, I'm Rachel Berry-Corcoran."

The teacher's eyes sparked with recognition. "Ah yes, they told me you would be joining today. Let me get you a book, and you are welcome to sit anywhere. You haven't missed that much as we are in the middle of reviewing." The girl sent a silent thank you out to the universe for this small favor. She was sure her other classes it would be a completely different story because her other subjects didn't build on each other.

"I'm Mrs. O'Henry. I allow you to receive three tardies before you get detention. If you are absent, please e-mail or come talk to me about make-up work."

The girl nodded. "You may take your seat as class will be starting shortly."

Rachel chose to sit in the middle. The front makes you a teacher's pet, while the back guarantees the likeliness of being called on by the teacher. The middle was just perfect. There were some curious glances shot at her as students entered the classroom and took their seats. Rachel rolled her eyes as the jocks and Cheerios entered the room. At her old school, the only sport she played was field hockey. They didn't have cheerleaders or a football team. She was actually surprised at how athletic she was. Field hockey was quite aggressive, and it was nice to be able to tap into that side. She planned to talk to the field hockey coach to see about getting on the team. It would help her fit in, and maybe keep the bullies away.

* * *

><p>Quinn was exhausted as she entered her morning math class. The Cheerios had a five a.m. practice that morning, and it was brutal. Sue had decided to rework the entire routine to include a lot more tumbling than before. She noticed there was a new girl in the class, but her curiosity didn't go beyond that. The thought of tiny brunettes only made her sad. Rachel had cut off all contact after the seventh grade with some crap reason about how they were always too busy. She was supposed to visit that summer, but decided an intensive summer Broadway camp would be more fun than her friends. Her parents never talked about the Berry's around her anymore after realizing how upset it made her.<p>

She sat at her desk between Brittany and Finn. Santana sat on the other side of Brittany. The back of the class was their territory. They could watch everyone under their domain from the back. Quinn watched the new girl as she tied her long, brown hair up into a ballet bun. Clearly, the girl was a dancer. The bun was too perfect. The little action reminded her of the way Rachel used to put her hair up when it was annoying her, or when she had ballet recitals. She was meticulous about her hair.

After the bell rang and the morning announcements proceeded, Mrs. O'Henry took attendance.

"Azimio Adams, Melanie Adams, Taylor Benson, Rachel Berry-Corcoran," Quinn's head snapped up at the name and watched as the tiny brunette muttered a disinterested here. She couldn't believe that the tiny brunette was her former best friend. Nothing about this girl screamed Rachel. Even the way the girl sat in her seat was different. She sat with poise and class, and there was something about the way she carried herself, that the ten-year-old Rachel didn't have. It took her until the end of class to figure out that this Rachel was far more confident. The opinions of others bounced right off of her, and she refused to engage with the rest of the class. The whispers of their classmates didn't bother her in the slightest. The old Rachel would've talked circles around them.

Then there was the obvious clothing choices that distinguished this Rachel from the old one. There wasn't a single hint of plaid or argyle. She wore dark skinny jeans with a white ruffled top, and a faux leather jacket. Black converses had replaced flats and moccasins. There were no words that could describe the girl except hot.

Santana made an undistinguished noise from beside her, but otherwise kept her comments to herself. Neither one could actually believe that the girl Quinn had been pining over for the last four years was less than five feet away. The blonde watched the girl for the rest of class, and was disappointed when Rachel never once glanced her Latina glanced discreetly at her captain to watch her reaction because right now she was having a hard time believing what was in front of her own eyes.

* * *

><p>Rachel could hear everyone gossiping about the "new" girl, and decided to forego eating in the cafeteria. The auditorium was empty and for that she was thankful. People weren't exactly being discrete in their pointing and gossiping. They were in disbelief that she actually was attractive and stylish. Rumors had spread across the school about why she was suddenly back. Each was just as outrageous as the last, although the kid who mentioned vandalism wasn't too far off the mark. It would hurt more if she actually valued their opinions. She was not nearly as insecure as she used to be.<p>

She took a seat at the piano, tapping a few keys. A soft melody began to fill the room as she thought about the girl she had refused to think about. She hadn't seen Lucy all day, not that she was actually paying that much attention. As soon as her name was called in attendance, she zoned out. She disconnected from reality because it was too painful.

"Rachel Barbra Berry!" A voice exclaimed loudly. She swiveled around on the seat and came face to face with Kurt. Her eyes widened dramatically. "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

She sighed. "I was hoping it wouldn't. And it's Berry-Corcoran now." Unbeknownst to everyone, she kept in contact with Kurt. He wasn't close friends with Lucy, and only hung around the two of them on occasion. "My dads were the ones that wanted to come back, not me."

Kurt frowned. "Is it really that bad here?"

"My past mistakes are much clearer here. My regrets are not something I can easily forget. In New York, I can run away from them. I have stuff to distract me. Everything about this place reminds me of the past. My bedroom, my house, the park, I can't escape it." She blew out a frustrated breath.

Kurt took a seat next to her. "It'll be alright little duck." She giggled and he wrapped an arm around her. "I know it will be hard, but you will survive. What's three more years in Lima, compared to the rest of your life in New York."

The girl sighed dramatically. "Forever," she said with a flourish of her hands.

"And people say I'm a drama queen." He nudged the petite girl.

She poked her tongue out at him. "Jerk."

"So have you seen a certain blonde?"

"I don't know who you are talking about. Why aren't you at lunch?" She decided to play dumb.

"Nice attempt at deflection, but this is me you are talking to."

Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well I haven't actively searched for her. I don't know what to say to her. She was my first friend, kiss, and well I wasn't such a great friend to her in return, not that she was all that great after that summer."

Kurt squeezed her shoulder. "She's a total bitch now. She is the Head Bitch in charge, has been since she became head cheerleader. They call her the Ice Queen."

"The funny thing is, is that it isn't that hard to picture. She had a tendency to be slightly domineering. The kids who bullied me way back when, got it handed back to them ten times worse by her. They feared her. Another thing about her is that she wanted popularity. She wanted everyone to know her name." They weren't all that different, but Rachel chose to go through more formal channels to get that kind of notoriety.

"You know you can't avoid Quinn forever."

Rachel scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. _Quinn_? "She goes by her middle name?"

Kurt sighed. He didn't want to explain how the blonde had reinvented herself. She washed away all the traces of Lucy once the braces came off. Her face cleared up. She was truly a beautiful girl. "She hasn't gone by Lucy since middle school. She joined the junior Cheerios in eighth grade. Not long after that her braces came off, she got contacts, and her face cleared. She is drop dead gorgeous. By freshman year, all traces of Lucy were gone."

He watched as the girl next to him visibly deflated. It hurt him to see her as pained as she was, but she had to know that time had passed not only for her, but those she had left behind in order to pursue her dreams. Everyone had moved on. They had grown up. "She's dating Finn."

He chuckled as he watched her face scrunch up in disgust. "But he's an idiot. He's also beyond insensitive. Don't you remember when he asked me if all Jews looked like this or was it only me?"

Kurt nodded. "He's my stepbrother, but I agree wholeheartedly that he is the least empathetic and sympathetic person I know. She only dates him because he's the quarterback."

"Stop!" She cut him off. "I don't want to hear anymore. She's not Lucy. We aren't friends anyways. I shouldn't care. I've moved on and so has she. It is time to accept that it was merely childhood fancy that kept us friends for all those years. If you will excuse me, I have to use the restroom." She picked up her backpack and stormed out of the auditorium. Kurt didn't take it personally. He knew she wasn't upset with him but herself and Quinn.

* * *

><p>Rachel ran down the hall crying, and failed to notice a certain blonde cheerleader at her locker. Her mind was focused on letting out all of her grief, and she didn't care if anyone saw her. Well she did, but she was too caught up in the moment to really care.<p>

Quinn frowned as she watched the small girl run past her. She swore she saw some tears running down the girl's face and decided to follow. Although, she was angry with her little brunette, she never could stand to see her cry. It tore at her. She was a protector by nature, her protector. Her heart constricted as she heard heart-wrenching sobs coming from one of the stalls in the bathroom. She would do anything to stop them.

"Hello?" Quinn called out. "Are you okay?"

Rachel froze. She didn't want anyone to know she had actually been crying. It was different when she was running through the hall, but someone was in the bathroom with her. There was a possibility that she could be made fun of.

"Do you need anything?" Quinn was starting to worry when the girl didn't reply.

"I'm fine." A small voice replied. It was like music to the blonde's ears. Her voice was as smooth and rich as honey. Rachel's voice had lowered in pitched compared to the high-pitched voice from their childhood.

"Are you sure?" The blonde cursed herself because Rachel would be embarrassed that someone heard her crying. She also didn't want to seem too interested. She had a reputation to maintain after all. Rachel ended their friendship, even though she had given her plenty reason to.

She heard the click of the bathroom lock, and saw the girl exit the stall. She regarded Quinn with cold eyes. She was sure she saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes before it turned to cool disinterest. The Cheerio was quite impressed at how she managed to control her emotions. The old Rachel was an open book; then again she was tuned into the girl's emotions. The girl standing in front of her was practically a stranger. "Oh it's you." She muttered as she grabbed paper towels to clean her face.

The cheerleader bit back her sarcastic retort. It would only serve to fuel both of their ire. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." The girl replied.

"You're a real piece of work, aren't you?" She was only trying to be polite, and her so-called former best friend was throwing it back in her face.

The brunette's eyebrows rose. "Oh Quinn, you know nothing about me."

"Obviously you know about me. I would think someone would learn their place fairly quick in the social hierarchy. Cheerios are at the top. Below them are other athletes, and then you have your regular people, nerds, and losers. I think you know which tier you belong to." Her hand tenderly held her face after the brunette's palm had connected with her cheek. She didn't mean to be quite so harsh, but years of silence from the brunette had caused these feelings of… of hurt to burn inside the blonde. The hurt had eased at some point and in its' place anger simmered deep within her veins. Although the way her stomach fluttered, she was beginning to doubt if what she was feeling in that moment could be classified as anger.

Rachel rolled her eyes at the blonde. "Seriously?" She placed a hand on her hip. "I couldn't give two shits about this school and its' inner workings. I'm only here for my diploma and then I'm gone. Now if you'll excuse me," she said before attempting to storm out of the bathroom.

The blonde grabbed her former best friend's wrist as she tried to walk past her. Rachel snatched her arm from the girl and glared murderously at her. "Don't you ever fucking grab me like that again or so help me. I don't need you or your stupid protection bullshit. I'm not some silly little girl. I know how to take care of myself now, no thanks to you."

"Yeah well whose fault is that?" She said to the girl's back. Rachel tensed for a second before pulling open the door and leaving the girl to her thoughts.

Quinn was flabbergasted as the girl had actually stood up to her. Most kids had a healthy dose of fear when it came to the Ice Quinn. Rachel didn't hesitate in the slightest in putting Quinn in her place. Her stomach twisted at the brunette's words. She knew that once Rachel left Lima for the last time, she wouldn't be returning. It crushed her to realize how strained their relationship truly was. Rachel wasn't a little girl who needed protection anymore. She gave it as good as she got. The whole swearing thing was quite new as she had always abhorred vile language.

* * *

><p>After leaving the bathroom, Rachel made the choice to forego attending the rest of her classes. She went to the nurse and feigned sickness. Facing her problems that she had ignored over the last couple of years caused a lot of emotional baggage to be released. The nurse made some phone calls, and told Rachel someone was on their way to get her. She laid on the cot, wondering how she got to this point. When she closed her eyes, she could still see the shock written all over the blonde's face after her hand had collided with her face. "Rachel, your guardian is here."<p>

Rachel collected her belongings, and had to keep her face in check as she came face to face with Judy Fabray. She attempted to smile, but couldn't quite muster one up. Rachel's body collided with Judy's as she sobbed into the woman's chest. Judy was surprised, but helped the sobbing girl walk outside. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what happened at school to cause this.

She opened the passenger door for her and Rachel slid in. Judy got into the driver's seat.

"It is great to see you." Judy said, addressing the girl after minutes of awkward silence.

Rachel leaned her head against the window. "I have to say you are looking well Aunt Judy."

Judy frowned at the tone of the girl's voice. "Sweetheart, I don't mean to pry, but did something happen?"

Rachel sniffled. "I know what you want to ask is what reduced me to tears on my first day. I don't want to talk about it. I am a little melancholic at the moment, but it shall pass eventually."

"Dear, we both are aware that you do not get over things. I may not know the girl you are now, but there are few things that will truly ever change about you."

"I saw Lu-Q-Quinn." She admitted. It was better than having her find out from Quinn, who would spin the story in a way to make Rachel out as the villain.

"Oh, well I am not sure what to say."

Rachel gaped at the older woman. "Uh Aunt Judy, I well it didn't exactly pan out. We argued. Emotions ran high, and after one particularly despicable comment, I smacked her."

"What do you want me to say Rach? That I'm slightly disappointed that the two of you are no longer friends? I can't say that because I can't force you guys to be something you're not. The dynamic of your friendship changed the day you and your fathers moved to New York. That is in no means a slight against you guys it is merely the truth. You changed and adapted to a new situation. It was hard for Quinnie to let you go especially because she was used to protecting you from others. For once, she was unable to defend you against an unfamiliar situation. You had to do it yourself."

"Aunt Judy there's a lot more to the story than me moving. When we came back that first summer, Lucy well she… she kissed me. But afterwards she pushed me away and told me it was a mistake. She then ran away and refused my phone calls. I told her after seventh grade I couldn't be her friend anymore. It was hard to deny my feelings, but I realized she didn't feel the same for me. I can't put myself through that. I have too much self-preservation for that. I tried to get my dads to let me stay with my mom because I didn't want to come back here. I almost convinced them in the end, but then there was an incident at my school."

Judy was upset but not with her goddaughter. She was angry with her child for behaving callously. She kissed Rachel and turned around and pretended it didn't happen. She hadn't realized that she raised a coward. "I'm sorry honey. I wish there was something I could do to fix it."

Rachel smiled at the older woman. "Just your presence is enough." Judy reached over and squeezed her leg lightly.

They reached the Fabray residence, and Rachel shot Judy an inquisitive glance. "Unfortunately, neither of your fathers were able to get off work. Leroy said he would pick you up as soon as got off. Come on, in the house you get."

Rachel's shoulders slumped in defeat as she dragged her backpack along with her. The house had not changed much in the last four years. There were a few additions to the pictures and a couple missing, but she didn't care about that. "Go up to your room, and I'll bring you some tea." The tiny diva knew she wasn't going to be able to get out of this. Her Aunt Judy would never leave her alone, knowing that she preferred to release her pent up emotions unlike most people including her youngest daughter.

Rachel trudged up the stairs to her room at the Fabray house. She had spent so much time there as a child that they decided she could have her own room to decorate and everything. She rolled her eyes at the gold stars painted all over the door. She had almost forgotten about the gold stars and what they stood for.

The brunette realized quickly in New York why she didn't have many friends in her hometown. She was beyond narcissistic. Moving to the city, she had come to grasp the fact that she wasn't necessarily the most talented person out there. She had to work for it if she wanted it, but that didn't mean that she had to be arrogant about it. However to fit in with the kids at her old school, she had to pretend to be like them.

The diva was still there but a little less conceited and a little more modest. She still had her moments where she showed off, but they were few and far between. Being in show choir especially as a freshmen, meant that you were not likely to get a solo, as the upperclassmen had been there for far longer. If you wanted one, you had to show the director that you deserved it. She was lucky to receive one at Nationals. Dr. Reynolds said the only reason she awarded her the coveted solo was because of her hard work, dedication, and teamwork.

Opening the door, brought forth a string of memories she had tried to keep locked away. She saw her and Lucy gossiping and painting nails, reading books, playing, and being friends. Back then there wasn't any romantic undercurrent. They were only friends.

She dropped her backpack by the door before crawling into bed. The bedspread was lavender with gold stars. She couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the gold stars everywhere. She could admit that back then she was obsessed with metaphors.

Judy came up a few minutes later and had to stifle a smile at the sight of the small girl. The older woman had dearly missed her goddaughter. She was saddened to see how much Rachel had changed in the last few years and how she missed out on it. Sure Leroy and Hiram emailed pictures and videos, but it wasn't the same as witnessing the girl grow and become the person she was now.

"Aunt Judy," Rachel called. Judy shook her head to clear her thoughts before refocusing on her.

"Here you go dear, I made you some peach tea with a little honey." Rachel smiled gratefully at her.

"Thank you," she said with her lips on the rim of the cup.

Judy hesitantly took a seat on the edge of the bed. "If you want we can redecorate. I suppose you've outgrown all of this." She glanced around the green room. There were tons of mementos from Rachel and Quinn's mutual childhood lying around.

Rachel waved her off. "It's actually quite refreshing. I forgot about my former obsession with gold stars. It waned a bit after I first moved. I began to understand how obnoxious and haughty I used to be. I adapted to a new environment, as I had to make ascertain who I was. It was simple to be the girl with big dreams here, but there everyone has big dreams. People move there for all sorts of purposes, and I had to verify if I truly wanted to be on Broadway or if it was because it guaranteed me a spot on the first plane out of here after graduation. Let's just say I had a slight identity crisis after I started at my former school."

Judy frowned at this revelation. Rachel had a fascination with Broadway since well she could remember. The girl was fixated with moving to New York to become a star. She had never thought about the girl once questioning her own motives and dreams. "What did you decide?"

Rachel beamed at her. "That I was destined for stardom of course. It was a moment of uncertainty on my behalf. My schoolmates made me doubt my talent and dream. I attended a performing arts school, and all of the kids had their own specialties. There were singers, dancers, musicians, actors, etc. Everyone was a performer, a star in their own right."

"Were you insecure about yourself?"

The brunette shrugged. "I'm not sure if it can be classified as insecurity. It is perhaps that I had grown complacent while residing here because I knew I was the best here. I never had my talent outright challenged before. I previously defined myself by my abilities for such a longtime that when I began to question if I was good enough, I questioned who I was. It was a difficult time for me. At the time, my fathers had sent me to live with my mother. They figured she would be a bigger help to me at that point because she is in show business. She knows how it feels to know that there is this amazing gift inside of you, but to start doubting yourself once you get a sense of the competition. Also she lived closer to the school."

The blonde tucked some hair behind the girl's ears. "So you lived with Shelby? For how long?" She wasn't aware the girl had spent some time living with her mother. Hiram and Leroy had made it seem as if she was always around when they called.

"About two and a half years, this is the first time I've lived with dad and daddy on a weekly basis in quite some time. I would stay with them on the weekends and for some weeks during the summer. I visited sometimes during the week, but my mom had a curfew set for me. She didn't like that I was out in the city myself after a certain time."

Judy sucked in a breath. "Are you two close?"

Rachel nodded. "Oh yes, in many ways we are closer than my fathers and I. I know I can tell her everything. She does not try to coddle me, and pretend my fears are unfounded. She encourages me to be my best at all times because that's how you get noticed. You have to practice because you can only get so far with raw talent in this particular industry. Our personalities are quite similar, although I tend to be more on the extreme side; she is usually on the moderate side of things. She is able to balance out the diva part of herself. Me, I'm still working on my narcissistic tendencies. She pointed out that I'm doing a horrible job at hiding my conceit."

Judy nodded, understanding perfectly what she was saying. She needed a role model who could take her underneath their wings. Judy had nothing against Shelby per se, but it stung all the more that she and Rachel were no longer as close as they used to be.

"She's my mom. But she's also this super talented star. I actually convinced my dads to let me change my last name. It's now Berry-Corcoran. I felt it was fair considering that she doesn't have to be my mom. She could have stayed an anonymous surrogate, but she chose to be involved in my life. She's the reason for my existence. I wouldn't be me without her." She shrugged her shoulders slightly, not sure why she was explaining herself.

She cupped the girl's face. "Sweetheart, you don't have to justify your choices to me. I'm glad that you and your mother have developed a closer bond."

Rachel placed her hand on top of the one holding her face. "I feel I must apologize to you though. I've hurt you in the worst way possible. I broke a promise to call you every week. I would've, but every time I picked up the phone all I could think about was Lu-Quinn." She made a face. "That's really going to take some time getting used to."

"Honey, I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't disappointed in the slightest by your abrupt departure from my life, but I understand your reasons now. Lucy broke your heart." Rachel's shoulders fell as barely concealed sobs erupted from her lips. Judy pulled the girl's small frame into her and let her cry her little heart out. She could kill her daughter for how she played with people's emotions. The older woman had already planned to discuss her daughter's penchant for bullying-torturing her classmates.

* * *

><p>Judy realized Rachel had fallen asleep at some point and gently laid the girl down on the bed. Rachel made a little whine of protest when Judy let go of her, but otherwise showed no sign of waking up.<p>

She slipped quietly from the room to get started on dinner. The door opened and she heard her husband and Leroy talking. "Yes, Rachel has been quite the handful. We almost considered her request to continue living with Shelby. Lord, only knows how she managed to keep her in line all these years. Rachel hated visiting us. Then she got into some trouble at school, and she forced our hand. I was originally all for letting her stay there."

Judy went out to greet them. She greeted each man with a kiss to the cheek. "Leroy, how lovely to see you."

"You, Judy look stunning as always." He winked at her.

"You old charmer," she lightly pushed him.

"So where is my little star?"

"She's napping upstairs. I think you should go easy on her. She's a teenage girl who is out of practice with confiding in her fathers. This is an adjustment for her."

Leroy conceded. "I know." He blew out a long sigh. "I wish I could help her. It's just she never wants to talk to us. She talks with Shelby on the phone every single night. Most of the time she's in tears. I desperately want to fix the rift between us, but I'm afraid it might be too late."

She patted his arm. "It's never too late. Give her some time though before confronting her. You and Hiram from what she's told me barely see her as it is. I'm not trying to place any blame here, but you don't know her. You remember the little girl who had a strong inclination for gold stars and performing whenever the opportunity arose. Rachel's matured a lot. While I'm sure some part of her will always remain that little girl, the fact is that she hasn't been her for a while."

Tears formed in the darker skinned man's eyes as he listened to what she was telling him. He knew that she was right, and that he and his husband had let it happen. "You're right." He admitted.

"Of course I am." She joked. "You're welcome to stay for dinner, although I think Rach would prefer to dine at home."

"Yes, I think that would be best. I'll go up and wake her now. Thanks for everything Judy." He gave her a small smile before departing upstairs.

Russell raised an eyebrow at his wife. "What happened?" He knew there was clearly more to the story.

"She had a run in with Quinn today. Quinn didn't recognize her though, which is probably a good thing at the moment. We need to discuss with her the consequences of her actions. I received a call from Julie Miller's mother who said her daughter had come home all week covered in slushy. Apparently, our daughter has started a trend where the jocks slushy other students. She sometimes puts out hits for particular students. Kara said that the kids call her the Head Bitch in Charge or Ice Queen."

Russell frowned at this information. "You would think she would be a bit more empathetic considering all of the times she had watched Rachel crying as a result of the other kids picking on her. I don't know what's wrong with her lately."

"Yes well we need to figure out how to let her know that we won't tolerate this kind of behavior. It isn't right to make other children feel bad about themselves. It's inhumane. We know she's not heartless, but something is clearly bothering her."

They heard footsteps coming down the stairs and decided to finish the conversation once their guests left. Rachel entered the kitchen and ran into Russell's arms. "Uncle Russ," she breathed softly into his chest.

Russell wrapped his arms around the tiny girl and pulled her in tighter. He had missed the little dynamo. He kissed the top of her little head. She stayed in his arms for a few seconds more before pulling away.

He eyed her new appearance. Gone were the plaid skirts he was accustomed to, and her hair had grown out over the years. She wore make-up. It was a surreal moment for him to see the girl he considered a daughter to look like a teenager. He was having trouble displacing the last image he had of her.

"Thanks Aunt Judy for coming to get me and everything else." She smiled shyly at her.

Judy pulled the girl into her arms. "No problem dear, I'm always here if you need me."

"Thank you again Judy for picking her up from school. Have a good night."

"It was truly not a bother. I hope you guys have a wonderful night as well. Give my best to that husband of yours."

"Night Uncle Russ."

"Good night my little ladybug." He smiled a bit when he saw the blush that formed on the girl's cheeks.

* * *

><p>She slid into the front seat while her dad got in on the other side. "I still don't see why I had to move here." She would not rest until her fathers realized what a mistake it was forcing her to come back to Lima.<p>

Leroy held a hand up to stop her. "Please Rach, can we not do this right now?" She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back with a huff. Leroy wearily entered their house. He knew his husband was in the kitchen from the delicious smells permeating the house. He ignored his daughter as she angrily stomped up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door.

"Rough day?"

"Did we do the wrong thing?"

Hiram turned around to face his husband. "What do you mean?"

"With Rachel, I mean we haven't been important figures in her life for a couple of years. She doesn't have respect for us because we basically passed her off. In her mind Shelby is the only parent in this dynamic that cares about her. We are the villains take her away from her life yet again."

The other man grimaced slightly. "Do you think that is how she really sees us?"

"Honey, she's a teenage girl. In her mind, we are ruining her life. MY mom used to say I would pay for all the grey hairs I gave her, but I never expected it to be because I was raising a teenage girl with a flair for the melodramatic."

"Maybe we could make some sort of arrangement to appease her. She could possibly fly out twice a month to visit Shelby. I know she would appreciate that, and so would her mother." Hiram was desperately trying to bridge the gap between them and their daughter. A compromise might help with that. Rachel wasn't normally unreasonable.

"That's a brilliant idea." He was aware that something was going to have to give in order for them to have some semblance of a relationship with their child.

* * *

><p>Upstairs in her bedroom, Rachel cried into her pillow. The day had been emotionally trying. Her whole life was crumbling down around her, and she didn't know who to turn to. Lucy was gone, that much she knew and accepted. The girl who played with her and protected her had disappeared, and in her place was a bitchy cheerleader, who thought too highly of herself. There was no trace of the sweet girl who held her hand on the first day of kindergarten when she got pushed.<p>

It her suddenly, and the diva quickly grabbed her cellphone to call the one person she could always rely on. "Hello?"

"I hate it here."

There was a sigh. "Give it another chance."

Less than thirty seconds passed before the tears flowed. Her voice was garbled as she spoke. "Lucy isn't Lucy anymore. She goes by Quinn now, and she hates me. WE had an altercation in the bathroom that resulted in me physically assaulting her as she insulted me. I don't know if I can stay here until my senior year."

"If at the end of your sophomore year, you are still adamant about leaving, we will return to this discussion."

"Mommy I miss you." She wiped a few tears from her face. Her head throbbed painfully from all of the crying she had done that day.

"I miss you too baby. I promise you will get through this, and at the end you'll be back here with me whether it be a year or three years from now."

She released a calming breath. "I wish we could be together." Her vulnerability was peaking through, which was rare for her these days. Normally, she wouldn't be so forthcoming about her feelings, but the day had taken an emotional toll on her.

"Rach, it will be alright. I promise you. I know everything seems like the end of the world to you because you've inherited my flair for the dramatics, but trust me when I say it really isn't. This will sound cliche, but sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better." Rachel hoped she was right because from her current viewpoint it didn't seem like there was a possibility of the situation getting better.

* * *

><p><strong>AN- It got a little heated between them, but they both have their own problems to sort through at this point. Let me know what you think. **


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